Nitrogen linked cyclic polyether ion binding polymeric liquid purification materials

Claim 1

A polymeric membrane, useful for ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, selected from the group consisting of polyamic acid linked crown cyclic polyethers and polyimide linked crown cyclic polyethers having the structure selected from the group consisting of: ##EQU13## wherein n has a value of from about 5-100, R 1 and R 2 are at least one tetravalent organic radical, selected from the group consisting of: ##SPC26## R 3 being selected from the group consisting of divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and carbonyl, oxy, sulfo, and sulfonyl radicals; and ##EQU14## wherein m has a value of from about 5- 100, R 4 and R 5 are at least one trivalent organic radical, selected from the group consisting of: ##SPC27## R 6 and R 7 being selected from the group consisting of divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and carbonyl, oxy, sulfo, and sulfonyl radicals, and wherein the crown cyclic polyether constituent is an ion binding divalent radical represented as [x-CROWN-y], said crown cyclic polyether constituent being selected from the group consisting of 9-crown-3, 12-crown-4,15-crown-5, 18-crown-6, 21-crown-7,24-crown-8,dibenzo-12-crown-4, dibenzo 15-crown-5,dibenzo 18-crown-6,dibenzo-21-crown-7, dibenzo-24-crown-8,dibenzo-27-crown-9, dibenzo-30-crown-10, dicyclohexyl-12-crown-4,dicyclohexyl-15crown-5,dicyclohexyl-18-crown-6,dicyclohexyl-21-crown-7,dicyclohexyl-24-crown-8,dicyclohexyl-27-crown-9,dicyclohexyl-30-crown-10,benzo-9-crown-3,benzo-12-crown-4,benzo-15-crown-5,benzo-18-crown-6,cyclohexyl-9-crown-3,cyclohexyl-12-crown-4,cyclohexyl-15-crown-5 and cyclohexyl-18-crown-6 wherein x is the total number of carbon plus oxygen atoms making up the polyether ring, and y is the number of oxygen atoms on that ring and wherein the membrane is effective to electrically trap ions in applied contaminated liquid solutions.